tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23246233952209219212024-02-18T19:25:19.483-08:00My Three Sonsthe Jewell familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05761230844072680620noreply@blogger.comBlogger70125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2324623395220921921.post-21543761355236037462012-12-23T10:04:00.000-08:002012-12-23T10:04:42.780-08:00Christmas Party<br />
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We had a Christmas party with some of our new friends. </div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">The highlight of the evening was the white elephant gift exchange. Andy got a Trivial Pursuit game and was happy as a clam except for the fact that he had no idea what it was. </span><br />
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Then Jonah got a porcelain doll. I think his face says it all.</div>
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He promptly gave it to this little girl.</div>
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On his next turn Jonah got a bag of garlic and onions with some herbal supplements. Andy especially got a kick out of that.</div>
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Finally, it was Ben's turn. He got a book which thrilled his soul...</div>
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even though it was written for mine.<br />
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Alas, Jonah got a pocket knife--a pocket knife! We'd already told him he couldn't have one but we decided to let him keep it until we got home.<br />
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That was a mistake. This is the last picture I took of Ben with his eccentric loot before he ran into that knife and lifted his knuckle off the bone.<br />
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He's fine now and the finger is healing nicely. I think that was the first time the boys ever played that game and they loved it. Next time, however, we'll probably make sure we play the kids-only version without sharp objects.the Jewell familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05761230844072680620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2324623395220921921.post-2764947405370248772012-12-11T05:56:00.000-08:002012-12-23T08:46:43.894-08:00The Best Christmas Pageant Ever<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
This weekend Jonah and Andy played in <i>The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. </i>The play was great!</div>
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Jonah played this bully:</div>
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and the same bully playing Joseph in the church Christmas pageant:</div>
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Andy played an angel:</div>
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And Ben played a kid in the audience eating sugary concession stand yum yums while Dad facilitated parking and I photographed the event: </div>
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The play is based on the book by the same name--which we highly recommend--by Barbara Robinson. It's about a family of misfit kids who learn about Jesus by playing the main roles in the church Christmas pageant. It's an easy read so you still have time to enjoy it with your kids before the magic of the holiday season comes to an end. Merry Christmas! </div>
the Jewell familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05761230844072680620noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2324623395220921921.post-279411402492974752012-11-02T09:35:00.001-07:002012-11-02T09:35:59.747-07:00Last-Minute Halloween<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
This was sort of a last-minute holiday. Mom got the police and doctor uniforms at a thrift store in Colorado. The beard came from there too. They weren't necessarily for Halloween; dressing up is <i>always</i> fun.</div>
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The church we have been going to was planning to spend Halloween packing Christmas boxes for less fortunate kids, so we decided to join them. </div>
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We also took advantage of the fact that the church next door hosted a trunk-or-treat with games and prizes.</div>
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We walked over with our new friends--who also happen to have three boys--and had a blast.<br />
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It helped that Mom didn't stress over the details that have always represented Halloween to us, like accessories for the costumes or pumpkin carving. We just rolled with it and it turned out great.the Jewell familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05761230844072680620noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2324623395220921921.post-12501986860393589912012-10-26T12:03:00.002-07:002012-10-26T12:03:55.506-07:00Sasquatch Sighting<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZGKzk5QAZ1wEKwTpQU3GIK04lMOhLcyNY2BKB3F0EOfrLe8IhdTzqWBjEVTvbxvvXvGygRXPriR_rPhOm4uV00ejD4zjeO5wHQp8c8TiYZR5VImfNg8MTGmpymufpyizD6__H-ln_bUQe/s1600/IMG_2238.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZGKzk5QAZ1wEKwTpQU3GIK04lMOhLcyNY2BKB3F0EOfrLe8IhdTzqWBjEVTvbxvvXvGygRXPriR_rPhOm4uV00ejD4zjeO5wHQp8c8TiYZR5VImfNg8MTGmpymufpyizD6__H-ln_bUQe/s320/IMG_2238.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />the Jewell familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05761230844072680620noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2324623395220921921.post-81716032418956301212012-10-06T13:30:00.000-07:002012-10-06T13:31:32.686-07:00How Are the Boys?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
On my main blog I recently answered the question "How's Your Mom?" I've also been asked quite a bit how the boys are doing through all the changes. We have some tough times and adapting to a family member with Alzheimer's is extremely challenging, but we also have our share of good times. Here's one just a few days ago. You can actually hear their grandma laughing in the background.</div>
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/6HZF9BxFPyU?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br />
<br />the Jewell familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05761230844072680620noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2324623395220921921.post-16999418419159625342012-03-31T17:09:00.001-07:002012-03-31T17:09:20.326-07:00Ben's Birthday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
We celebrated Ben's third birthday earlier this month. Jonah and Andy insisted that he open their presents before the guests arrived.</div>
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I suspect it was so they could bust open the packages and "help" him play. I'm pretty sure he was on to them.</div>
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The bounce house party went over big with Andy's friends in November so we did that again.<br />
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I don't know exactly how long kids <i>can </i>jump, but I know now that it's at least six hours.</div>
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Ben was happy to greet each guest upon arrival and dive into his presents.<br />
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Meanwhile, Dad cooked up some kid food on the grill. It was a beautiful day.<br />
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The food and weather were enjoyed by all.<br />
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Then we came in for some cake.<br />
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And it was back outside for face painting fun.<br />
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Ben was especially patient.<br />
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And was rewarded with this awesome Spiderman mask.<br />
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At the end of the day, the favorite of these best friends was the looting of the goody bags.<br />
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Ben was out for the night just minutes after the last guest left. He talked about it for days, which is a sure sign it was a hit.the Jewell familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05761230844072680620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2324623395220921921.post-69618138263952384902011-12-27T09:15:00.000-08:002011-12-27T09:15:33.659-08:00Cookie Making Fun<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Ben really wanted to help me make some Christmas cookies last week, so I made the dough and let him roll it out.</div>
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He preferred to use his hands, which made me glad I had him wash them before we started.<br />
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At one point it didn't really matter how clean his hands were, because he kept shoving them into his mouth. Then I found myself trying to remember just how hot the cookies would have to bake to kill bacteria. I was pretty sure we were safe, and I wasn't planning on handing this batch out to the neighbors, so I let him freely partake of the best part of cookie making.<br />
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He was very thankful, and we made some nice cookies.<br />
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The next day after they had cooled it was time to decorate them.<br />
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Ben was nice enough to let his brothers participate, but he did stake his claim to the multi-colored sprinkles.<br />
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Andy insisted on wearing a shirt with a collar for the big event. What you can't see are the athletic shorts that complete the ensemble. By-the-way, there are cookies under all that icing and all those sprinkles.<br />
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Jonah was more casual with his dress and more conservative with his decorating.<br />
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Ben took a bite out of each cookie he decorated.<br />
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Hey, wait a minute! There were two cookies on that plate. Where's the other one?<br />
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Yummy, yummy in my tummy.the Jewell familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05761230844072680620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2324623395220921921.post-57298808587581326922011-12-22T14:40:00.000-08:002011-12-22T14:42:56.720-08:00Legoland<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We went to Legoland, and it was awesome! Mom got cheap tickets through the homeschool group. We were just three of about 400 kids. It was like a private field trip just for home schoolers. </div>
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Max was there. This is the biggest we've ever seen him:<br />
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There were lots of fun rides, and we were tall enough for just about all of them:<br />
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Well, Ben wasn't, but there was plenty of stuff his size, too:<br />
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Mom went on this one with us. I'm pretty sure I heard her scream:</div>
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It seemed like <i>everything</i> was made out of Legos:</div>
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Even some of the people. At first Ben was a little scared of this guy, but he got pretty chummy with him after a few minutes:</div>
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I had no idea Legos were so strong... or sharp. Ouch!</div>
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Ya, pretty sharp:<br />
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The absolute coolest thing in the park--where we spent most of our time--was this place where we got to build cars and race them on tracks. We must have raced about a thousand times. I'm pretty sure we won every time, too:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1PsJGtAfXXCmy2-1Ee4aQ3xpObsyY9_0yK3_H18eTOHSmbSM1ayvJlJWFS3t-UgEIsiZUYLtB2f2e0NXL7LVcA5LS2M0zHxfp6ljGSgNacal_M7gJtFYHJmEjALCN7g79RsuivN5v-Dgv/s1600/9.1+Lego+racers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1PsJGtAfXXCmy2-1Ee4aQ3xpObsyY9_0yK3_H18eTOHSmbSM1ayvJlJWFS3t-UgEIsiZUYLtB2f2e0NXL7LVcA5LS2M0zHxfp6ljGSgNacal_M7gJtFYHJmEjALCN7g79RsuivN5v-Dgv/s320/9.1+Lego+racers.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Mom liked this. It was a bunch of miniature cities built with Legos. We were like giants:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1bYsNvrsLE9856Edt1g0agF9572l4pCpAoFbmSUNvR9l78PPolyzzT_QVqgOdWBMDVosgRmtJ0UQPFzb9ycQYVXu2jgSw6OSeDkc66HSDEFPIx5GKfUg7ymNY3lKIkH-KNnY-Fi_zj4QN/s1600/9.2+fam+at+miniland.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1bYsNvrsLE9856Edt1g0agF9572l4pCpAoFbmSUNvR9l78PPolyzzT_QVqgOdWBMDVosgRmtJ0UQPFzb9ycQYVXu2jgSw6OSeDkc66HSDEFPIx5GKfUg7ymNY3lKIkH-KNnY-Fi_zj4QN/s320/9.2+fam+at+miniland.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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It was a fun trip, and it gave us all kinds of ideas for how to use Legos. Now, if only Santa would bring us about a million more boxes of them.the Jewell familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05761230844072680620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2324623395220921921.post-32834782091353306522011-12-06T11:00:00.001-08:002011-12-06T11:38:08.577-08:00Andy's Jumpin' Birthday Party<div style="text-align: left;">This kid just turned seven:</div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 268px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZJrFcIi4fxbD6-Cf35mW9tT1wjIQQVCJp5AJ7k2Lc1m3w3qqSCt3oDPsVwKYhxDlUn_idXMHCeXBWJb0UjwmaKh0zOrk9-xVV-O-837BWH84ZEk016vHgIQPKm9FY3pGG7G32hBK5l3rC/s400/1+andy+.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5683092794875145490" />In case you don't recognize him--you know, because he's in disguise and all--here he is front and center, posing with his friends in front of the bounce house we rented for his party:<br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG51lq5wvDZl_CQT79xYpF7un4YAWvBS0ZTMBOkdvWPPd3fmU4kWJWkqN_P_ojblg2jfUyN0-mch9T78uunG4AKClM91iavBMv3RjStOOL0WnE3DvKRdpnYIvBA6h1RSYL0afGKvDQAeAN/s400/2+gang+and+bounce+house.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5683092792120732306" />Andy typically gets a much simpler party than Jonah just because it falls around the holidays. This year we were determined to give him a great party, because he's such a great kid. We surprised him with a bounce house in the front yard. <div><br /></div><div> It was a big hit. Everyone was fighting to get in:<div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbwXukz1U0ZS06FSNRdaeWJoF3B1nnjJMJUphRWTSm9J0iH9jmgm1spZ0NsDsuCM-bF-KAkubCI4BM37xPKE65uymHEuA3ZXMsg-bLtMV8yJ3CQU0Nn_zv6w1e3IdR_TPZEE7GZvBW0RGX/s400/2.1+bounce+house.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5683092708545213346" />Just how long will kids jump before they get bored, you might ask? We may never know. After six hours of jump time, we shut the party down while they were still springing along... in the dark... and the rain.<div><br /></div><div>Other opportunities for fun included the ever-popular piñata, which we had to hang from our neighbor's tree because we don't have anything but palms in ours:<br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAkKwh2QDJAHFTHuORm51ZImXjty4b2xnd_qxbtpj5_Kfc93mNnf012yd_F7SWZVhvz9ES4t3ljW1NqvYDqNz9X6zb6RirT0mw2Ke-6lEziB9bG08g5XevqsUD4GQxwC0XWYJ1D-UKzV-6/s400/3+andy+pinata.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5683092706921713650" />Ben thoroughly enjoyed whacking it with the same bat we always tell him not to hit with:<br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5VWzSkfkv7NrUq50A4cnZw94RmlJshhVGDD6OpRWMtH_k_RJ_URqzUH1KOPRZj8AriP8SVbFa4CFuTwUAjinssfXUTGT-FaB9H_cpBPh67DB0QquTCTwjpB7gO_u-BK1UJgSTwmDJvxYL/s400/4+pinata+2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5683092684969152578" />Here we are walking back to our house after the kids filled up their goody bags with candy:</div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMLPRmeWHNIbSHdRjp6YZkYBeCtlebnubtYSHiT8j4Zr-Q7LpccN-W5EEZCxgAEyA9i6WtMVMxRsbFOseowgvjDp20JxsIqrfriWWpwLyAEysyTd0w5FG5mIij9ZpcgMxbh-nQ9o9Ios0a/s400/1+party.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5683096970190524386" /><div style="text-align: left;">And here's Ben after being busted for stealing some other kid's bag:</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXfe25yu3RzZkZfHZ6FAITHtdWoFwYa0GElVT14Ornc8itrN7QYwKIWnaBWjobVctew5_F37wi1R02S8MD5kK_VolymA7yHDw-IaXKJzTr7kfMTcTk9GlrZALVjh5H4_JYl8vG8XNjm90t/s1600/5+ben%2527s+eating+michael%2527s+candy.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXfe25yu3RzZkZfHZ6FAITHtdWoFwYa0GElVT14Ornc8itrN7QYwKIWnaBWjobVctew5_F37wi1R02S8MD5kK_VolymA7yHDw-IaXKJzTr7kfMTcTk9GlrZALVjh5H4_JYl8vG8XNjm90t/s400/5+ben%2527s+eating+michael%2527s+candy.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5683092680451787746" /></a>Good thing he wasn't still carrying the bat.</div><div><br /></div><div>Then there were presents:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCA56oiVw2gsKShBiOl9ImA0ccSRkRgrOSnHGBQ1d8z9Up3z4dKjhW3ogEuHpQ27GCmDta8cDGTVfH9vtMPlb3hAvafXlKGiyXZovgo6u-GWRseQSkPK3M5B-pN8nRFgwymb63chkCAEE8/s1600/6+gifts.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCA56oiVw2gsKShBiOl9ImA0ccSRkRgrOSnHGBQ1d8z9Up3z4dKjhW3ogEuHpQ27GCmDta8cDGTVfH9vtMPlb3hAvafXlKGiyXZovgo6u-GWRseQSkPK3M5B-pN8nRFgwymb63chkCAEE8/s400/6+gifts.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5683092673747379922" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcWi3Zqa9KocdJW7d2eSjB_o-klRmVmzH_3fMbXpdAf8i6pDJo0clRmPqTewhP23kSIPD6nj4DkWWk0MqatXjvLrKuttrPQ-CpKVEguAhAHDVMWA-D094z87WXytGbWTAEHyBNCJEA2Y0L/s1600/7+presents.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcWi3Zqa9KocdJW7d2eSjB_o-klRmVmzH_3fMbXpdAf8i6pDJo0clRmPqTewhP23kSIPD6nj4DkWWk0MqatXjvLrKuttrPQ-CpKVEguAhAHDVMWA-D094z87WXytGbWTAEHyBNCJEA2Y0L/s400/7+presents.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5683092516587840418" /></a>And cake:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBDxu2cmDDxvbIvIiCU_a9t5ShY_wKTcPMhiRlHjqDan4v8e1m9M5Hl4d97cM-52YEyLbgRy_NdWaORlh_KWwssPOE7yjUS9O0In2lJNmAckK8auoYWPM1gLc4Zwj_4p6rHfQ6JPjM3UDn/s1600/8+cake.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBDxu2cmDDxvbIvIiCU_a9t5ShY_wKTcPMhiRlHjqDan4v8e1m9M5Hl4d97cM-52YEyLbgRy_NdWaORlh_KWwssPOE7yjUS9O0In2lJNmAckK8auoYWPM1gLc4Zwj_4p6rHfQ6JPjM3UDn/s400/8+cake.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5683092512206969714" /></a>And, of course, face painting:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbeoQAKljjbxgDuTyDuu9RAT7W-kKpdO9JRqt2S-HDrKPUgWKQ7Aa7c3-j1XZvbiNdKd6xHLdKP42dfu2L72V4u9zsg2oyPO4sBVUZwA1mSmXpkMQfiNzq0MEKEQOJpDXLwld40KcpJkbg/s1600/9+face+paint.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbeoQAKljjbxgDuTyDuu9RAT7W-kKpdO9JRqt2S-HDrKPUgWKQ7Aa7c3-j1XZvbiNdKd6xHLdKP42dfu2L72V4u9zsg2oyPO4sBVUZwA1mSmXpkMQfiNzq0MEKEQOJpDXLwld40KcpJkbg/s400/9+face+paint.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5683092508788500466" /></a>Which also drew a crowd:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4MH4vdwXEJSPub_xX1F0HfTGi2w9HIAS_ySeXTGD9Rvr1cbacmqKcXuEgtxLXvbF6QPdAXcyQVWVFExoyVXF7D6elUOCFqA4EOAtrwShaXZ9Zsurfh0aH5wHYGooHQSGPORlX82FAKqvU/s1600/9.1+face+painting.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4MH4vdwXEJSPub_xX1F0HfTGi2w9HIAS_ySeXTGD9Rvr1cbacmqKcXuEgtxLXvbF6QPdAXcyQVWVFExoyVXF7D6elUOCFqA4EOAtrwShaXZ9Zsurfh0aH5wHYGooHQSGPORlX82FAKqvU/s400/9.1+face+painting.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5683092496177742162" /></a>Andy said he had a great time. When I asked him what his favorite part was, he said he loved the bounce house, and the cake and presents were great, but he mostly liked hanging out with his friends.<img style="text-align: left;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh-Rehny0AUuVOhPm816GZDvVc2J5IpZUZdwLKbGrP4o88gp3J0HQ0_nzeMdGINOqe-kK3_76m6POvCz487vAVR89DiVu00-5QrP2WtSjubxsh5lvd4bO18nvvA8L-9kIf1EzU6nk1iTIO/s400/9.2+andy+and+jake.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5683092491989799122" /></div><div>Happy birthday, big boy!</div><div><br /></div></div></div>the Jewell familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05761230844072680620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2324623395220921921.post-54650126904294591242011-12-01T07:54:00.000-08:002011-12-01T08:15:19.967-08:00Halloween<div>I promised a couple grandmas that I would send Halloween pictures, so I'm going to play a little game of catch up before moving on to more current events. Allow me to take you back to mid October and pumpkin carving:</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpd6ONArUD6fLlPBxKd1FawMlaAkw0R5f3lnt7LzesgmgklBn6pa3S9UUk9RpvXeUd7X5NcHff9CarsBCi0gVWwi9lo70N4iY_BK1VawscXpeyl14AizhuEW_7qhH1YopbxZYG4C6xB4aa/s1600/1+carving.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpd6ONArUD6fLlPBxKd1FawMlaAkw0R5f3lnt7LzesgmgklBn6pa3S9UUk9RpvXeUd7X5NcHff9CarsBCi0gVWwi9lo70N4iY_BK1VawscXpeyl14AizhuEW_7qhH1YopbxZYG4C6xB4aa/s400/1+carving.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5681189824832333746" /></a>Jonah was the only one willing to touch the stuff until the other kids saw that it was safe. After they warmed up to it, it ended up all over the back porch and yard. I had to scrub it off the screen door and, at last count, I had thirty-two pumpkin vines sprouting up in the back lawn.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKcGlpcqg5_REYnAVONzG5NuLo4Bibo-Fr2W9VM4crPURPGahC-BTkqS9QZF5lPyS_-SInhMWXaWKVkQ4oa2hR8XpzUPkOw3djpcBlA9x04sV7UtitI09KjXguemVMO5fJoclq-OPnlhn6/s1600/1.1+carving+2.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKcGlpcqg5_REYnAVONzG5NuLo4Bibo-Fr2W9VM4crPURPGahC-BTkqS9QZF5lPyS_-SInhMWXaWKVkQ4oa2hR8XpzUPkOw3djpcBlA9x04sV7UtitI09KjXguemVMO5fJoclq-OPnlhn6/s400/1.1+carving+2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5681189821510008146" /></a>Here they are with the finished products:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzjkozGYq-Pox9c_LnciZEDDy4kR1OrPfxV4Io-IPL8ZabmHH_h_JBOVSDbmfIKWLwXpvlYYL1AfWt2xDmskJ3NpVj8TfgFbUhGhB7pFDGXrk5rDk6yRFV2bC1VCmvc0gq2puswzQaYCZB/s1600/1.2+boys+and+pumpkins.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzjkozGYq-Pox9c_LnciZEDDy4kR1OrPfxV4Io-IPL8ZabmHH_h_JBOVSDbmfIKWLwXpvlYYL1AfWt2xDmskJ3NpVj8TfgFbUhGhB7pFDGXrk5rDk6yRFV2bC1VCmvc0gq2puswzQaYCZB/s400/1.2+boys+and+pumpkins.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5681189817070810514" /></a>Jonah chose this pattern... and I carved it.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg93qawZTPrWPFe8f4EzYYIKfI8mm7FnTKZkhwQUwI9MexA7IwPwLJxel8cwlOC9PpOoN4jpe2KpryMKFitHyWb3CHxh5CFzoDCPHA6c9-AEZolre2H63FPkXW-FGFs_C_apABxCQIyPaDv/s1600/1.3+Jonah%2527s+pumpkin.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg93qawZTPrWPFe8f4EzYYIKfI8mm7FnTKZkhwQUwI9MexA7IwPwLJxel8cwlOC9PpOoN4jpe2KpryMKFitHyWb3CHxh5CFzoDCPHA6c9-AEZolre2H63FPkXW-FGFs_C_apABxCQIyPaDv/s400/1.3+Jonah%2527s+pumpkin.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5681189708193770130" /></a>Andy chose this pattern... and I carved it:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdntOFHJ26KqcfElmGeqMD52sGhP11Yj3lWIhDxwFv7C2mqBZQzLLq4IfARmbyZfMoSMFaexunBcu3cI0ZyzqHL4xXKlrNhC0heizXKQCMhswra7FGZ6iVKJs3a0S3ZvqyVIpLDD-LAhjP/s1600/1.4+Andy%2527s+pumpkin+022.JPG.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdntOFHJ26KqcfElmGeqMD52sGhP11Yj3lWIhDxwFv7C2mqBZQzLLq4IfARmbyZfMoSMFaexunBcu3cI0ZyzqHL4xXKlrNhC0heizXKQCMhswra7FGZ6iVKJs3a0S3ZvqyVIpLDD-LAhjP/s400/1.4+Andy%2527s+pumpkin+022.JPG.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5681189702313179666" /></a>It didn't matter which pattern Ben chose because his pumpkin was so hard I couldn't carve it. Instead, I had to nail holes in it just to be able to squeeze some Mr. Potato Head pieces into it:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD8_PupAW6_g5Wc_rKZ_bIrtCQ2WIDhD5Zn93wG8bfEyXrAFPgOLwgk3gzYv0MskeVHiFxDyp2S85IYvE1_2PU7XIVwB1RgmAsx_gfzQzqJp43DUymzp_tqdgji5wigr-55ob_bOd7GE86/s1600/1.5+Ben%2527s+pumpkin.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD8_PupAW6_g5Wc_rKZ_bIrtCQ2WIDhD5Zn93wG8bfEyXrAFPgOLwgk3gzYv0MskeVHiFxDyp2S85IYvE1_2PU7XIVwB1RgmAsx_gfzQzqJp43DUymzp_tqdgji5wigr-55ob_bOd7GE86/s400/1.5+Ben%2527s+pumpkin.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5681189693895767554" /></a>When did Halloween become so much work for Mom? Oh well, Ben was thrilled with his new toy, and that made it worth the effort:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiw3RFl59JolIoSrOayLhthL1W7e7lUMfINeMJPt4hfa_qDkH99mJwgDqgrU2_5ZP2RxCaBkedvwNb-fCF_yOInFgKcgoeanmAxpdGkw9k0iJa9SHkCZD4yRywbSQuCC5M69gn1aShm0eS/s1600/1.6+ben+and+pumpkin.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiw3RFl59JolIoSrOayLhthL1W7e7lUMfINeMJPt4hfa_qDkH99mJwgDqgrU2_5ZP2RxCaBkedvwNb-fCF_yOInFgKcgoeanmAxpdGkw9k0iJa9SHkCZD4yRywbSQuCC5M69gn1aShm0eS/s400/1.6+ben+and+pumpkin.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5681189691748619090" /></a>Later in the month the kids dressed up and we headed over to the Hendersons' for some trick-or-treating:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgztarRUBnj0wuLnNkcA90bVCv7zdh0JtJ2SRAYIZ5XnjeRE_GoCsO11DnLsqVMzn83MB6JSy5aqYAYyHLSSlCE0OcwGjrCtYAf9-zSg0GowN39oyLR7I7hYWSy-baT8kDaukHwdoNj9c7M/s1600/2+jewell+boys.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgztarRUBnj0wuLnNkcA90bVCv7zdh0JtJ2SRAYIZ5XnjeRE_GoCsO11DnLsqVMzn83MB6JSy5aqYAYyHLSSlCE0OcwGjrCtYAf9-zSg0GowN39oyLR7I7hYWSy-baT8kDaukHwdoNj9c7M/s400/2+jewell+boys.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5681189687045107618" /></a>Jonah was a spy:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4uIlLuqnI82nYH2u-IRD3OJ_Y9_O5F0RyxnbJlh-6tcsSxSvXmaNM2rMz-j1eI4XfFnPuwmpsesObHTTH3mbOyFFS4hUDbGSE-3ednx19WN2tU8ful5gNe0tcaPfnylamVBwZVOz57cTv/s1600/2.1+Jonah.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4uIlLuqnI82nYH2u-IRD3OJ_Y9_O5F0RyxnbJlh-6tcsSxSvXmaNM2rMz-j1eI4XfFnPuwmpsesObHTTH3mbOyFFS4hUDbGSE-3ednx19WN2tU8ful5gNe0tcaPfnylamVBwZVOz57cTv/s400/2.1+Jonah.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5681189512221392354" /></a>Andy was a storm trooper:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUZmF0805DFQ5bHSGJKcYsC5Okjm9_SW_nitoT0By8u_nrli_Kt2EDUcZLoXX0-lmOnjpE16ltfa_IAv898el0dV12qFMxJDnCz9r5DEfRiYoVvcHYyhm1yhQpSJ5H7DZpE7cPxmyHQ91S/s1600/2.2+Andy.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUZmF0805DFQ5bHSGJKcYsC5Okjm9_SW_nitoT0By8u_nrli_Kt2EDUcZLoXX0-lmOnjpE16ltfa_IAv898el0dV12qFMxJDnCz9r5DEfRiYoVvcHYyhm1yhQpSJ5H7DZpE7cPxmyHQ91S/s400/2.2+Andy.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5681189503989778162" /></a>and Ben was a magician. He made candy disappear:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcvIZfmhQTPKsT6_eC8FNDjFHdKxWi3MMwhh_7me1GZnQmSZtb3_guaIpht28_jnLaMi9CGA5-XqoESPLBXqLVCQq15hm5oZTVDhGyXVbqrFspTJuDCKwRo-whHNxmFYMRIuwX4z70b0Mf/s1600/2.3+Ben.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcvIZfmhQTPKsT6_eC8FNDjFHdKxWi3MMwhh_7me1GZnQmSZtb3_guaIpht28_jnLaMi9CGA5-XqoESPLBXqLVCQq15hm5oZTVDhGyXVbqrFspTJuDCKwRo-whHNxmFYMRIuwX4z70b0Mf/s400/2.3+Ben.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5681189498658211970" /></a>I painted a jack-o-lantern on Maria's belly, much like the one Benay painted on me when I was pregnant with Andy--only smaller:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgViS3TK5GLfrjCemIDfG8Y3CUGT5IBuVGp2m4S2OVOD2c8e5v7Haw2VhlrR4HCAri9ZVU1nVo8ediw3htuXQioGaenO85eBct16V7zGPx5kuFT1DVQObqXl19zvHA6VRm0znDXRffATfa6/s1600/2.4+painting+belly.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgViS3TK5GLfrjCemIDfG8Y3CUGT5IBuVGp2m4S2OVOD2c8e5v7Haw2VhlrR4HCAri9ZVU1nVo8ediw3htuXQioGaenO85eBct16V7zGPx5kuFT1DVQObqXl19zvHA6VRm0znDXRffATfa6/s400/2.4+painting+belly.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5681189483032021746" /></a>Here's baby Kevin's first Halloween costume:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Cptu5v8vCCNbcGkp1H9lvVj9A8o7kDWA8HDECT8I2EYkfJx92VAAMqQPGcwwOL86OtXcmZRbX2Aq33ry2MGb4qceU1jNGgHidbHASZGl8K7MEIxeFfz5z1vDCZ2pWVQB4Y90YH0hEl3y/s1600/2.5+Maria.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Cptu5v8vCCNbcGkp1H9lvVj9A8o7kDWA8HDECT8I2EYkfJx92VAAMqQPGcwwOL86OtXcmZRbX2Aq33ry2MGb4qceU1jNGgHidbHASZGl8K7MEIxeFfz5z1vDCZ2pWVQB4Y90YH0hEl3y/s400/2.5+Maria.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5681189480801549474" /></a>Ben especially liked it:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE4DR49hS5ORPI9mxurTAFtHpqyZ9t0j4maWqLqizJ7s_xHH3-1Ws5_Guvoxl1AQHa_ZDn2GzHard_Rgem813c91VdlcsbDCXoDFkwbbUZeQFa1BuO1F2VQO0HUxVpz14EGeD0lAREIIqP/s1600/2.6+kissy.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE4DR49hS5ORPI9mxurTAFtHpqyZ9t0j4maWqLqizJ7s_xHH3-1Ws5_Guvoxl1AQHa_ZDn2GzHard_Rgem813c91VdlcsbDCXoDFkwbbUZeQFa1BuO1F2VQO0HUxVpz14EGeD0lAREIIqP/s400/2.6+kissy.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5681189304236041746" /></a>John and I never got around to putting together costumes for ourselves, but Maria had some from last year that fit us perfectly:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6LXmGx9vH22AdUi_e4-eopXLy84zMoRws2sR_aXY7HlRPctGQE0rP67RpUwHOqEZ_r4NIdhIuSqCedobgYGjgkEDV3rT9YAVvL9Ogl-x9q31W_WVJQ69ZfXV06vJjuT8fbTs8yqf505pT/s1600/3+j+and+s.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6LXmGx9vH22AdUi_e4-eopXLy84zMoRws2sR_aXY7HlRPctGQE0rP67RpUwHOqEZ_r4NIdhIuSqCedobgYGjgkEDV3rT9YAVvL9Ogl-x9q31W_WVJQ69ZfXV06vJjuT8fbTs8yqf505pT/s400/3+j+and+s.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5681189293298243266" /></a>This may be the first year I've ever been trick-or-treating with a fully-costumed group of this size. It was a lot of fun:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgbdX2ot20irB_CsC8u1B9kpKpPJ1GnoWPyWBG6mHmEnHiRMC_TKEs_ZGUebhAxf4yW335-KAqh3aFvFTGzYfNkLk8gVThvrf7sKOv1bDZPhZ2aoUGw3TJF8XZoGn_NvBUiJqwRetUHzm5/s1600/3.1+gang.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgbdX2ot20irB_CsC8u1B9kpKpPJ1GnoWPyWBG6mHmEnHiRMC_TKEs_ZGUebhAxf4yW335-KAqh3aFvFTGzYfNkLk8gVThvrf7sKOv1bDZPhZ2aoUGw3TJF8XZoGn_NvBUiJqwRetUHzm5/s400/3.1+gang.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5681189288951110114" /></a>As we headed out, Ben insisted on staying with baby Kevin:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKEHbOlS9xiQQ0rlQDWNrvtZd9CsJkZNUTKA-h3o9_zdVCJMjQAYDWtQurcwOOGIKujCha0fiU0hc-6_Gh1s6bnZ38XukKR_DmLbuozzEIHaeGALLOziBVuEnmyjAGm29c0dOQQu10H9pb/s1600/3.2+pumpkins.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKEHbOlS9xiQQ0rlQDWNrvtZd9CsJkZNUTKA-h3o9_zdVCJMjQAYDWtQurcwOOGIKujCha0fiU0hc-6_Gh1s6bnZ38XukKR_DmLbuozzEIHaeGALLOziBVuEnmyjAGm29c0dOQQu10H9pb/s400/3.2+pumpkins.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5681189272519392834" /></a>It was a beautiful evening, and the kids came back with pumpkins filled to the brim. What more could a kid want?<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO1wbyVkIhyZ2iwAznjvEH9YbOJkV4vCdsfTDTe-F1uGz8WdnYZyP5tgr0SzLSU-q-0su8SvuHE67EdgC8mk_Z4WjqsTQgX2PRAnE8WS7Si6HX-K9ZSWZdXhuAxVthMao2fjNL725ZdTPU/s1600/3.3+kids.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO1wbyVkIhyZ2iwAznjvEH9YbOJkV4vCdsfTDTe-F1uGz8WdnYZyP5tgr0SzLSU-q-0su8SvuHE67EdgC8mk_Z4WjqsTQgX2PRAnE8WS7Si6HX-K9ZSWZdXhuAxVthMao2fjNL725ZdTPU/s400/3.3+kids.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5681189271145119794" /></a>the Jewell familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05761230844072680620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2324623395220921921.post-88988617816165437592011-10-17T05:22:00.000-07:002011-10-18T10:25:26.653-07:00Jonah's 10th<div>We are officially parents of a double digiter. Jonah was thrilled to have his tenth birthday party at a beach park with these great kiddos:</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5PI8UMZu_MIjC0c3EYWx1LfRPpUjVhbo0YZdJJRhbFRwqtg8IwtiAvvQiAmrclGnBgWkiS7cgvAgEBwhTKV3SeOwQd04aGj2-CtZDjmCQDt8Cv0MrwdULBAHnkJuLIPhIZ39PoVNEzVII/s1600/1+kids.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5PI8UMZu_MIjC0c3EYWx1LfRPpUjVhbo0YZdJJRhbFRwqtg8IwtiAvvQiAmrclGnBgWkiS7cgvAgEBwhTKV3SeOwQd04aGj2-CtZDjmCQDt8Cv0MrwdULBAHnkJuLIPhIZ39PoVNEzVII/s400/1+kids.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664436142566187506" /></a>I was glad I didn't plan a lot of games because they kept themselves pretty busy. Their first activity was to climb up this concrete water fountain to swing on low hanging palm fronds. The moms all stood nearby commenting on how dangerous it looked as we snapped photos of our daring children:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr6mrW58MpwJPIpvN3FDvJ1CFFd749gXuBShuFEVyv4vWZbUnTr9_SIOgJQE-W4CBChOtHUQdwlirvRPNXLVvsEHIR83lg_qJCl_Rdw9DVnbH0csac9KY92yMyizjrF2I-Op0kXdfWHM4z/s1600/2+Swinging+on+the+tree.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr6mrW58MpwJPIpvN3FDvJ1CFFd749gXuBShuFEVyv4vWZbUnTr9_SIOgJQE-W4CBChOtHUQdwlirvRPNXLVvsEHIR83lg_qJCl_Rdw9DVnbH0csac9KY92yMyizjrF2I-Op0kXdfWHM4z/s400/2+Swinging+on+the+tree.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664436141016466210" /></a>Then the kids' favorite celebrity, their homeschool athletics coach, showed up for a cameo appearance. He brought Jonah a baseball autographed by a famous player and even gave the brothers a little something:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzn5amh5T-IJEUSmqmu6Jc1RzM2TEyR9gzJZZe6bKpr1eAClKC_P55pdQrDry0lqp_yXr0IccsJk2jwLXqsJF-tw-mjAb26r8SaFCibyM0YEsWUit0D3rojVjZ27JYOrR8ufOdlAXfPZfo/s1600/3+Coach+Rick.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzn5amh5T-IJEUSmqmu6Jc1RzM2TEyR9gzJZZe6bKpr1eAClKC_P55pdQrDry0lqp_yXr0IccsJk2jwLXqsJF-tw-mjAb26r8SaFCibyM0YEsWUit0D3rojVjZ27JYOrR8ufOdlAXfPZfo/s400/3+Coach+Rick.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664436053487466226" /></a>He broke out his bow and arrow and gave each kid a shot at a bag of charcoal. Who needs a piñata?<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5bqy79UuS2zv499izxztBqzegR0MHGN8LgeeEWKcK2nxZyxbNkyKl3snRbLX7Rgh8ZTLeXcm7hF2H5RVkOoiIsfnF5DH8x6U8OJTWVuik7F817LJ1eBv0BJJ56wh7T6fuk7nW4EcUKZeQ/s1600/4+Ben+bow+and+arrow.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5bqy79UuS2zv499izxztBqzegR0MHGN8LgeeEWKcK2nxZyxbNkyKl3snRbLX7Rgh8ZTLeXcm7hF2H5RVkOoiIsfnF5DH8x6U8OJTWVuik7F817LJ1eBv0BJJ56wh7T6fuk7nW4EcUKZeQ/s400/4+Ben+bow+and+arrow.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664436043289555650" /></a>Then it was cake time. Jonah requested chocolate this year for the first time ever. For those of you who know him, you know lemon has always been his favorite. I believe my influence is finally taking hold.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbFd8IG0XXYx7tXGyWEHv1rsIYrAiLU2UWc5rYM7FZt7YCZ3F8xepV7Mt_54J-5p8Vr9u8HqGnhfPuVqOC57n7mMo0vqbrsSw-o3q3dUObyWmq_7l5hoCccFmZtOKhYL3QBJmfsvXEAIfd/s1600/5+cake.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbFd8IG0XXYx7tXGyWEHv1rsIYrAiLU2UWc5rYM7FZt7YCZ3F8xepV7Mt_54J-5p8Vr9u8HqGnhfPuVqOC57n7mMo0vqbrsSw-o3q3dUObyWmq_7l5hoCccFmZtOKhYL3QBJmfsvXEAIfd/s400/5+cake.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664436035050334418" /></a>He got a lot of cool boy gifts from his friends, including things that shoot, things that go, and things that make a mess:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi60PY4L90shHnwks3XnjWELQoBfAvLsDUk2nYoKeNFi88YXfLVwq4GQlCUNozcZ6E1s4lOMNo7Aqo6OA-z5q1_g1N5oHhJvXW5C98y_C8t7OBK6U0mtklmVhPs7r0hC_HzqwdYDC3FKHxm/s1600/6+gifts.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi60PY4L90shHnwks3XnjWELQoBfAvLsDUk2nYoKeNFi88YXfLVwq4GQlCUNozcZ6E1s4lOMNo7Aqo6OA-z5q1_g1N5oHhJvXW5C98y_C8t7OBK6U0mtklmVhPs7r0hC_HzqwdYDC3FKHxm/s400/6+gifts.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664436034435679378" /></a>Then we headed over to the beach for the main attraction:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnLv5LsN9ky_wcMCZtVKqfR-vFg12p-pWzNuAvbB6U2R0DSVhRNkJP1E0UI5d-Qhp9cTtMUdmwZkMz_lGEznUvQQ8QDbxt4dme-xRwo5pyDLM56iE7Mgd33-fxoNpoRSazuwKY2pGUF6Zk/s1600/7+tunnel.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnLv5LsN9ky_wcMCZtVKqfR-vFg12p-pWzNuAvbB6U2R0DSVhRNkJP1E0UI5d-Qhp9cTtMUdmwZkMz_lGEznUvQQ8QDbxt4dme-xRwo5pyDLM56iE7Mgd33-fxoNpoRSazuwKY2pGUF6Zk/s400/7+tunnel.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664436027279329138" /></a>Uh oh!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge-aO4RzZwc2YQmYltJoVt606t2CsfOTPueZXJlimKv5eMUmMACVKIhmcOeSolDfIP9AcVcdeRPV4ZGPc2aaHTyyUKEXD0rQj2byQ7rBy44WmnWJ_5upbSGDqaTVD4A6IddhRiHMSnh1LT/s1600/8+uh+oh.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge-aO4RzZwc2YQmYltJoVt606t2CsfOTPueZXJlimKv5eMUmMACVKIhmcOeSolDfIP9AcVcdeRPV4ZGPc2aaHTyyUKEXD0rQj2byQ7rBy44WmnWJ_5upbSGDqaTVD4A6IddhRiHMSnh1LT/s400/8+uh+oh.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664435865602031282" /></a>It was very windy but felt great:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQQQfj54dK3M_yayDYNK-0LVGrfGvochuNPRiroCfV6-xgo-2P73z1rl_A3JpYNii6R_Bvk7kif040YZU_TZar6k_kFFBj6Yl7gbO6mt2oekI59N-AuK4vRUYL4Sr8UNp-oCzmQ1NbxWon/s1600/9+beach+.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQQQfj54dK3M_yayDYNK-0LVGrfGvochuNPRiroCfV6-xgo-2P73z1rl_A3JpYNii6R_Bvk7kif040YZU_TZar6k_kFFBj6Yl7gbO6mt2oekI59N-AuK4vRUYL4Sr8UNp-oCzmQ1NbxWon/s400/9+beach+.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664435865745606882" /></a>No sea lice in here:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpC7BTPJKc9zGx4m6QQREB4u7BbXHpTvV6NqU93cdVBPNMYUMv8ErlQ6okht2U4xMmitPjY4wEe0WEVos5fy7cV1rU-u2NAJaASedELlRw1OqW_xTFUqjBYOvR6k6xHXxLwMWPF2ALwtS0/s1600/9.1+Andy+in+a+hole.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpC7BTPJKc9zGx4m6QQREB4u7BbXHpTvV6NqU93cdVBPNMYUMv8ErlQ6okht2U4xMmitPjY4wEe0WEVos5fy7cV1rU-u2NAJaASedELlRw1OqW_xTFUqjBYOvR6k6xHXxLwMWPF2ALwtS0/s400/9.1+Andy+in+a+hole.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664435860479119474" /></a>And the wind made for perfect waves:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8nz3PT09zTH-dthoqgKJG9kgFR-iPvjM9cdvSKSVxQLNCMyGy3uurJUa1Cnlk2VBPcNRQpkBTEQz1GfZejlSlUtwgZyeP9nQrDDkNjBkwgjz-Sf_3lC8ydSroegvqSKfzaTw9kXm2R09c/s1600/9.2+surf.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8nz3PT09zTH-dthoqgKJG9kgFR-iPvjM9cdvSKSVxQLNCMyGy3uurJUa1Cnlk2VBPcNRQpkBTEQz1GfZejlSlUtwgZyeP9nQrDDkNjBkwgjz-Sf_3lC8ydSroegvqSKfzaTw9kXm2R09c/s400/9.2+surf.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664435829179497474" /></a>Woo hoo! what a party!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-5-6YmNZ8J7jAttAu-nTqZBV26hsTaRaoQqkLvSPJ2OXLOHr8VES8dsjb8-X50-xGv5eZmamqE_YEMKPLpbHb_HY1El5uoLCJ8jVxngiHPm8visR6baQi-6FEw8Ffj7b52nR1nHvKSezK/s1600/9.3+jumping.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-5-6YmNZ8J7jAttAu-nTqZBV26hsTaRaoQqkLvSPJ2OXLOHr8VES8dsjb8-X50-xGv5eZmamqE_YEMKPLpbHb_HY1El5uoLCJ8jVxngiHPm8visR6baQi-6FEw8Ffj7b52nR1nHvKSezK/s400/9.3+jumping.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664435827851389986" /></a>the Jewell familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05761230844072680620noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2324623395220921921.post-11034873915337343162011-08-21T11:56:00.001-07:002011-08-21T12:29:57.885-07:00The Lizard Whisperer<div>Jonah has become something of a reptile specialist lately. Not only has he been catching with his bare hands some very aggressive lizards in our neighborhood, but he has also been taming them. Here is one of his recent catches--a reformed thrasher and biter:</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2-HHOGyTqJWWOuDIeVhzjMEsjouV0q64_zETkalJ5mLs7ZFp7mHM4jzregt_JVJuq8Dzc28f-joA8_8AjBEil7vj8VvRP5_jllyo1ij44QbS02IoU06vEVP4CeeUVJQ2lmBd2n7JVWlt6/s1600/1+Jonah+with+curly+tail.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2-HHOGyTqJWWOuDIeVhzjMEsjouV0q64_zETkalJ5mLs7ZFp7mHM4jzregt_JVJuq8Dzc28f-joA8_8AjBEil7vj8VvRP5_jllyo1ij44QbS02IoU06vEVP4CeeUVJQ2lmBd2n7JVWlt6/s400/1+Jonah+with+curly+tail.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5643385815201619026" /></a>All the boys take great delight in trapping the lizards' food so Jonah can feed it to them by hand:
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmPhigxyFwzat1xtARVVNrSzkbsoOzptVo6XmVPJcr_MuLcF10LkoZHQ5lPR1ekRHEYLsGUYdaMJQDwFMZ9BB6cygkG1k6mCq2ksT84NtXJKfdaIvbBBo3oXEQ-HxgVV1O_GeAR7Lpmy7Q/s1600/2+eating+butterfly.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmPhigxyFwzat1xtARVVNrSzkbsoOzptVo6XmVPJcr_MuLcF10LkoZHQ5lPR1ekRHEYLsGUYdaMJQDwFMZ9BB6cygkG1k6mCq2ksT84NtXJKfdaIvbBBo3oXEQ-HxgVV1O_GeAR7Lpmy7Q/s400/2+eating+butterfly.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5643385810601547154" /></a>They don't hesitate to take advantage of the fact that Jonah can put these little critters on their backs for several minutes at a time. Here they have Fred sunning himself on the beach with an ice cold Coke in his hand.
<br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3M-QqTu9DL0FQ-IgIgcY4ytHE93yK-qqXmInzRN1H6d4Rzau3c2Cy2rbO9L93BMTi8SeFLMoEzizEhldvk8oqovcEJUWGQkD60uNSh_tmLl2b0rwEazxR2dc-FWe6IchwhtOCthpjrTGA/s400/4+lizard+holding+coke+bottle.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5643385791850358610" />While his girlfriend Wilma enjoys the quiet solitude her own hot tub affords:
<br /><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-leOokVtk8ZFL-insQLyzfgjiXHNuoDsiFhOW4A6Ak3iY6UTg79KdwiG0XBPVg2-cKLQ-s1qrWGDHubN2oxWWUVtqITt0TVc6XUSeZIrCEoatLWZO8WLLX579fK-mnboUJe_8UXYP_Pv5/s400/5+lizard+in+hot+tub.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5643385786847910402" />Live animals are a real crowd pleaser when it comes to play time. But don't worry, Jonah is extremely gentle with them and doesn't let anyone handle them who isn't just as careful. Here they are on the set of a recent photo shoot where the kids put together the following story:</div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0acdgP8tMLCiDgV6yASBaV-eJhmpI8NArsjq_aCxhNMwaWovxOysqKlbK9xSjXf3OG4NMdopdG5bHo-BYJaoFJnCPgQJaZPs0wU55Mwmjk5XGZoJXM8axd0La7XvQu2ZSj_989YouTykn/s400/6+lizard+play+time.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5643385456673336434" />Frank was carpooling on his way to work when, suddenly, he felt a little sick:</div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfbaic0vSJ5xTAW4YO2Liq8ofqH7fFEQMXx5VPRIt2dmBpUqkpp1kidCZXDg4TSW2l15oRZ6rZmcdFwK7s9JVbG0b7hgqvkopUinXjp7-Enci-1Vuw8_kdNQliB9wNSkVWumNgUJsbSPVJ/s400/7+lizard+driving.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5643385448455657954" />Mabel took her spot behind the wheel, only to realize she would have to drive to the hospital instead of the office. Frank's condition was getting worse:</div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8gT7v9jNzqF9Q6jXPfvdcCdlVLBQu4yvSwGD1JwryoBYSO2koD1J3YgtrzCbnHs1HW79gDNHmQaidCOdLSjHnyTknOswr0oGp2X89OrJXb0lV1J9LU8tokcpxag5UFYXxXV84VArbKgbU/s400/8+lizard+being+driven.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5643385438436095746" />It's a good thing Mabel works out because, by the time they reached the parking lot, Frank was so weak, she had to carry him into the building:</div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-iMdsNj7d0P74tqHKFy4Nf_gTEZSmBPw_AiVltu-R08NqHI5s3M54Cn_JamJBHFmMtTTV9TnzfbI6JC62Dds6QWLPLxxfa2G45OFTHf0x_lLpMaobu9BDNAFRQcJhLsk5dH8jqWdwMnLT/s400/9+vet.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5643385400707635474" />It's also a good thing Mabel is a doctor because she had to perform emergency surgery on Frank:</div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgALlu-lVPsWRf_DiT7wQAZhMkPXTf763RwP1is20oNLj8-mxLA3gKWXQkCwJ6Yh0tZFEH-4IjhhBCExsfUqw89GU_nSZhvpqstMkqXmMBqRl0H5IiICW-2vMnVqjRaVAvj8bSSldJSZK7n/s400/9.5+vet.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5643385390230288514" />Now Frank is back at home in the comfort of his own athletic sock bed and recovering nicely:</div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilJ-07AkEygKyTXYA7Wc6o1xC98wbUxQ4aM017KjEKX8cigx0eiAnmx3EPiFvuZ69Q6M3ohyphenhyphenWX38kZGGsmJ5dSng-M-ZOoW_oTXAvLgRY_UARq-_f_ywXE3c0N40GHhZRXRJ2KVqJJD-4w/s1600/3+lizard+in+sock+bed.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="text-align: left;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilJ-07AkEygKyTXYA7Wc6o1xC98wbUxQ4aM017KjEKX8cigx0eiAnmx3EPiFvuZ69Q6M3ohyphenhyphenWX38kZGGsmJ5dSng-M-ZOoW_oTXAvLgRY_UARq-_f_ywXE3c0N40GHhZRXRJ2KVqJJD-4w/s400/3+lizard+in+sock+bed.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5643385801789959714" /></a>We hope you have enjoyed our little diversion from reality. You may just see more of Jonah's gift with animals combined with his clever imagination very soon. </div>the Jewell familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05761230844072680620noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2324623395220921921.post-21551334080594387602011-06-22T06:15:00.000-07:002011-06-22T06:36:24.463-07:00Grandma's Visit<div>We're blessed enough to have two Grandmas - one from Texas and one from Colorado. We used to call the former Naked Grandma because she liked to strip us down when we were babies and let us run around naked. Now we call her Texas Grandma because Mom says the other doesn't seem like a fitting name for a six and a nine year old to use. </div><div><br /></div><div>She just spent a week with us and we had a great time. She even helped us with our chores. For example, she cleaned the glass doors while we... well, we did other stuff. </div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-UvmmlPBmSTtr2KgIqlkQQbqngzBRos5EpQzbLSA6ZuFUk6IiLCgbg5ufGsp-ZpUO1c7pATm-ykrH-pDTPejgvNEsWHPYfQ5uyqXMVqZmyBTXbvSTrCNx2_eebheq2gQcjazXTJXOUxDU/s400/gma+doing+chores.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5621032153918571794" />Then we rewarded her by taking her to the beach and by just being our wonderful-grandson selves.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvlO16vWNocbo-IRNkLU63HY8OCzNB6zy_7MuYi3RMRYbn8cBtS6ZTj3lRunlg-ND6qF6-zvynIcSmzIHhPgOrUHuYHld22AsvW2pKG7QUUd4mQdqq2ZY7UA3FPci70NYpDyid7_hoAJNp/s1600/on+the+pier.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"></a><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvlO16vWNocbo-IRNkLU63HY8OCzNB6zy_7MuYi3RMRYbn8cBtS6ZTj3lRunlg-ND6qF6-zvynIcSmzIHhPgOrUHuYHld22AsvW2pKG7QUUd4mQdqq2ZY7UA3FPci70NYpDyid7_hoAJNp/s1600/on+the+pier.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="text-align: left;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvlO16vWNocbo-IRNkLU63HY8OCzNB6zy_7MuYi3RMRYbn8cBtS6ZTj3lRunlg-ND6qF6-zvynIcSmzIHhPgOrUHuYHld22AsvW2pKG7QUUd4mQdqq2ZY7UA3FPci70NYpDyid7_hoAJNp/s400/on+the+pier.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5621032160488570146" /></a><div style="text-align: left;">Thanks for visiting, Grandma. We miss you already.</div></div>the Jewell familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05761230844072680620noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2324623395220921921.post-86493500628675528942011-06-13T18:48:00.000-07:002011-06-14T09:01:38.014-07:00This Chicken's a Little DryI'm just going to warn you that if you have a weak stomach this may not be for you. It's about a recent homeschool project that, while helpful and memorable, was by far the most disgusting activity we've ever done. The boys and I spent the last three months mummifying a chicken after we read about the ancient Egyptians doing the same to their deceased. We started with a store-bought, whole chicken. Then we cleaned it and packed it in salt in a large Ziploc. I'll spare you the nastiness of raw chicken photos but let me just say it was nauseating to take that thing out of the bag every few days to repack it with fresh salt. When I told the boys that people used to have to do this with their loved ones' bodies, Andy exclaimed, "You mean they put them in bags!"<div><br /></div><div>After the chicken was essentially dehydrated and half its original size, we removed it from the bag and shook off all the salt. The boys chose spices to mix with olive oil, which we used to massage into the bird so it wouldn't smell so offensive. It actually worked.<br /><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><br /></p><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdDrzu_KNSpHGcDTFstc5jSApHZoT-8VuUNtvAQ1zNGIs4OYxNgWKiwzS2l9aOqLgGiVmgmD4XUa98sxA_lEmVXf-Z1JF4SGk7tjkCAELv3y7AyWQn3jOLkSOAgArTNL1RVmpgHqICTCfO/s400/1+choosing+spices.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5617887275404645762" />Here they are with the chicken on the driveway trying to decide who's going to touch it first:</div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0WO4HhifS5kXKgMcKtwJ2Zl-l6DkwLVrWVj5x0ZYQRKpkLOTfwINsQ9aG6B5idRA0d9vWXCtshzdq5EpF-0B6kGuv0MKdIFY6deNswxuGNBWFEmJmbD1zjyodZkzA8Tgpp4cUaI4E-W_y/s400/2+not+touching.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5617887372247333666" />Jonah drew the short straw and Andy almost threw up just watching him pick it up:</div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHztNngmyWAOrS-OAlqutlleupwrFvDEy7LNi9ApAmfc5SdJzPtq4BHtpd6wJB3XB0VdKsXpEJCSWtnB7Jftk26q50ixU8-RZj8KdJlWmD8SBX0QZO71bbNr6yAd1AkW4z3X6ewtILYgvZ/s400/3+Yuck%2521.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5617887495075942018" />See, I told you the fragrant oil worked. Don't they look like they're having fun and breathing freely?</div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibipHVclYuPnKYelqWP96aB8xwaqoX-lL2tXijZUaccZ5Vr8ed3IqaE5X9g21oFCq0FzFjRyYHdIsYMdqVE4CuThlgje25VLpNFu51WHhZdhgdQAq49M3ZPwFT7ywQLhohDfovnjgdgGqJ/s400/4+OK+I%2527ll+help.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5617887499346120114" />Then came the best part - wrapping the delightful specimen in glue-soaked cloth:</div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCNjxJt0JHlSf4WofMakY87X4MxbNutYTu30Z3rsSAVHcUgLIZLBVZCU5QVX8Xr3UWDvBw-qDIlgqgO4mhmYFofMl6GGNtIVGxRcKVQKGhX6qG9CWiCLfrygGPq7ZFDJT4Ldf8pvVIs3D7/s400/5+wrap+the+wings.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5617887605015649026" />They finally both really got into it and wrapped the bird up tight. Jonah kept insisting he needed more "toilet paper" but eventually learned the word "gauze".<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTyEiblMhadFDR6fuvXJK7XYjry40JdXBRfq39RaxTiI5gghyphenhyphenwhnm8kSc1LIlQLkTS4VzTM4Aa5t_vMhrR-a-8WY-QSuXVjFRzCtfNM1vPP16BTVLKVhY5xe74iTUrWiXp9zvgKYfNR83R/s1600/6+hands+on.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"></a></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTyEiblMhadFDR6fuvXJK7XYjry40JdXBRfq39RaxTiI5gghyphenhyphenwhnm8kSc1LIlQLkTS4VzTM4Aa5t_vMhrR-a-8WY-QSuXVjFRzCtfNM1vPP16BTVLKVhY5xe74iTUrWiXp9zvgKYfNR83R/s1600/6+hands+on.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="text-align: left;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTyEiblMhadFDR6fuvXJK7XYjry40JdXBRfq39RaxTiI5gghyphenhyphenwhnm8kSc1LIlQLkTS4VzTM4Aa5t_vMhrR-a-8WY-QSuXVjFRzCtfNM1vPP16BTVLKVhY5xe74iTUrWiXp9zvgKYfNR83R/s400/6+hands+on.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5617887613080232226" /></a>Then, because it hasn't rained much at all for weeks, we set it on the driveway to dry and forgot about it. Then it rained and rained and rained. Oops. Again, I'll spare you those photos. Suffice it to say that you should be happy my boys aren't planning on becoming undertakers.</div>the Jewell familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05761230844072680620noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2324623395220921921.post-83066833656824945312011-05-14T14:31:00.000-07:002011-05-16T04:12:29.238-07:00Our Little Graduate<div style="text-align: left;">Andy graduated homeschool kindergarten on Saturday. </div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhreKCbXVXvNywMs8srCyl6lQc_OHCLqVcRo-xpHC9Xq7RpE69XYOGLmyR6rH6CmZtMhh9eSoKGGh4itXgo0DFzsSsACqq_w9APUAFCb2-zYl00PGpeL_lfs7HKm5_rFwrC8CHgI0FOZ1Cw/s400/1+Andy.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5606709277115050258" /><div style="text-align: left;">As we rehearsed and memorized for the ceremony, a quote from one of our favorite cartoons, <i>The Incredibles</i>, came to mind: "They keep creating new ways to celebrate mediocrity". Yes, it's kind of funny to dress up a six year old in a cap and gown for an event he may or may not remember by this time next year. It may also not be any great feat for a child his age to know addition and subtraction or to read on a first grade level, but we are very proud of him and look for opportunities to celebrate this wonderful child. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">So, without further ado, please join me with the tune of "Pomp and Circumstance" playing in your head while you view these photos of Andy graduating with other homeschoolers at a local church:</div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgulRZi_BuiZvthU_vg_Ut5A2krwQX0hTEUVOA_aQBP8Z6-cTzIXhFU-k-ipVru17yCDrf5i_IyyULk1gD_Wg6SXK8LiEiJudknbofGl9Cjx1j9AQtpttdqu1Gra6xDYXjAxa5s0NsiLtBn/s400/1+Andy+and+Jonah.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5606709268787045090" /><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The Proud Big Brother</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYXCFkgxq4Eua7wMv_IKMeSx6HmEhBlhYPaxa4XeLKx8Zecj-mIVlIfbDpP9q79axkTo7bXHUUagtz12wm3rVM2S4ae9RlXoKYnNktehjJqCJXEhQFFCZgDkNN0UH5Kp60uy6e6lBp9SqG/s400/1+Ben.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5606709281672529010" /><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The Proud (of himself) Little Brother</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkZ0QmFq4wb0294uNM7vrftbKXH-N1lFIjNAsvhxE1O21SaqYRMrR6TLcXknhf0EeovtKWNLxASO7zr2ZzySm66KhFlLKzFe-Kc0Fcy7jCybTUu236CCeNElGIdR-fmAzt01tCAEF-hyYP/s400/1+Andy+and+the+girls.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5606709271837382370" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Waiting for the Ceremony with a Bunch of Yucky Girls</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt_VIWUabamxqLorRenOwSsRCjVHXR3bCQmwnxUXa2AbRqpAcgyk5sbdl-VX_yn0mf49zqDCc2FjkiAuPnP0EkSfHzXJ6RLLANAgE3UktY5PFPkZlNjD6srjEW8A6s3TRKmF1Tc5T3mw37/s400/1+pledge.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5606709436196292610" /><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Saying the Pledge of Allegiance</i></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3CaIIAjhEjHns0xNh2bhyw4OJIUZkWPVwMcXiSqEJme1TQM0ERsjg8cJ_wxam6PKmgl-8A7IR_-TyvlxnOgrExbvSPTB2Q71B8656Ss5HCYK05tb5RjWlZLQ87w_ekwNRUOPMBFN0Y0d1/s400/1+diploma.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5606709436603895442" /><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Receiving his Diploma</i></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div>Last but not least, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the part of the ceremony where we recognized and promoted the siblings into their respective grades. Jonah was promoted to the fourth grade. Again, no big deal, right? This is a kid we were told was autistic and may not ever learn to read or write. If you saw the <a href="http://brazilianjewells.blogspot.com/2011/05/mothers-day.html">Mother's Day card</a> he made by himself for me you know that is not the case. So we're aware of how much we have to celebrate and were thankful for this forum to publicly acknowledge the gifts God has given us in our children. </div><div><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_i66hl4mqQeOGneLsig2yPfM2Z8_kGwGbwffL8LIr2RSiwazp6Pg1TIL-t35_b-SefzZ6_TN9IyQJEYD1nnewlKHtmciNXaptZxs31ZUNuiK-qClMrEVtPQDxkC-5uBaPn7m_zL90jczF/s400/1+Jonah%2527s+group.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5606709433506595762" /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>the Jewell familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05761230844072680620noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2324623395220921921.post-2206454107464516032011-05-09T09:45:00.000-07:002011-05-09T10:33:47.478-07:00Ben on His TricycleThe only thing cuter than a naked baby? A naked baby on a tricycle.<div><br /><div><iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/XpSTaZdxXBQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div></div>the Jewell familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05761230844072680620noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2324623395220921921.post-42532198564111928522011-05-05T11:32:00.000-07:002011-05-05T11:53:48.007-07:00Disney World<div style="text-align: left;">When we got out of bed Dad told us we were going to the doctor. He even said we might have to get a shot. When he saw how nervous we were, he pretended to call the doctor who said what we need is three days at Disney World. Woohoo!</div><div><br /></div><div>We beat the heat by spending the first half of each day in the pool at the hotel:</div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguBnm7axK3oqUxD9H75wIg475Hurf33VhaUuEjfiJrC1IjYdkrUHDv-Lf_catIhs9yl7xn-LMYdiOuqLGQbUFDJIIeoqiEWaWz1Z9BevaBcA9BVnl1CsVgD1GDqO2DTgfrbe9RZm7qKwUU/s400/boys+at+the+pool.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5603301956367435314" />Then we went to Disney:<img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPVfy-EnhPDxc0WKNWNDRxmYt0lqOMd4cPFk_YZZ2J6qPlivrMLo2UaA-smTgcq2nnNUvhtU0W-SV4OjaqF-iWvyBJM_j037mNmWlzPu2m9Leh0bA2xY4q1HYMjKaXkh8utw_5thrL7hul/s400/fam+at+epcot.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5603301960569624546" /><img style="text-align: left;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvVuEd7Sb3ubNYAG5if1L0A_JRsyDOxGFTmVhrBRvJGfq5SA_30HDTIgmLi51DJn_hitpRgV1wB2-gCI9NHkT-SlFpnE03w12zjK7oLIz8wmmfsUc8IhNhyi_huOrnLNatZK5KAHs5AxzU/s400/tow+mater.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5603302064322651122" /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM4QTiJzZQb5RqWDGTuUVsjLBwnxkqkJzHr9cgwy4di35QZIL7IgW88o7MDVQ-GpkyTcyKgy6rBSXvaRVnR6JVJ7sEsLYyS_xDhL0ezhKT3e30MCJWgf6wwYFjzjlN2oVFpCECbz2ok8i1/s400/shackles.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5603304238914444642" /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikqwW15Ar-S0Ur1HC3tgn2wkE3a9DmdtpNpELmJdSCwrrGvN5jaxXw9rr5e_yvFwip_y9tTDpZtMZdT8pDWWtm9QrF4QE7tjwfvWwi9L1QKc64rNxpxSfBABmjFsH_h2nZP_T-UrAI5gIa/s400/deelicious.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5603304236303926370" /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH9z99IJ7vakUz_kUCVY7WcWr7zVjb_sJHCe3d9rdu2RGR7THyv7ghRhhcfHOL6bJHjP8QpxKV1rSUjH_qr5j17FcPbbXklu9iT6Yte4WLhaDrFyfWLJCNpzhi36jwU3oOhFxmMsDKFvN-/s400/big+lion.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5603304230188851026" /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGQ32YRjW1olsuozhQBeagDdE-YWMPg9vp_60oKax6JVHtjSDCtvTBiD65dvSOkGaz-IUUrRlgWvJWXEomIIVOBVfC4l5DtPzdH_2yRSS850Ktc9nL0KwhnqkEk917YMDJwUN1hZK_dv7j/s400/boys+on+the+playground.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5603301958543235170" /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiljKkbCs8u4cHpOWtvgyOYTzTrDXY14LzFwrzfAW7drUQMXNd0wZP5jAn64G7sqlzareUUwkpItTWNrqmwsffiaZsnq8D9LsommDscWnYpodAZFRhSq7Z2MNsA70HRUZwqEL7yumScM0W-/s400/star+wars.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5603301972253118786" /><div>It was a blast even though a few of the the lines were kind of long.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvVuEd7Sb3ubNYAG5if1L0A_JRsyDOxGFTmVhrBRvJGfq5SA_30HDTIgmLi51DJn_hitpRgV1wB2-gCI9NHkT-SlFpnE03w12zjK7oLIz8wmmfsUc8IhNhyi_huOrnLNatZK5KAHs5AxzU/s1600/tow+mater.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"></a></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNhsboBgYI5IMipD5n4sRBlAQ03ryEHozP52B694h-XIHwRu8II4TP22wgFg82UVV4O2FpDUVdLM131YAG-hwQJaEyn8sBlY36V6nFo1Stl2bD_skZ1jMsz43ZlXWioaCzrCBe5sSxOITb/s400/long%252C+hot+line.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5603301970405136146" />Being there at night was beautiful and we were wiped out by the end of each day.<img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM-giT5mxD4scw36TtbJuCRIE1dt4vf-8vl76SA_-pEff-jCHI1jGJVRvCbmoi5GvSqzzaFdussd1-AdHRxyiRMwL1sOmWQ9QOxbTKWrAh30sr54WgKP4eZ9KP1PX9TD5JZCsebOE_PQMH/s400/castle.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5603305721367564242" /> What a great trip!<br /><div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div>the Jewell familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05761230844072680620noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2324623395220921921.post-23842793681400056872011-05-04T19:15:00.000-07:002011-05-04T19:58:18.826-07:00Andy Rides a Bike<div>It dawned on me that Andy probably didn't need his training wheels anymore. We took them off and he was free wheeling in about twenty minutes. Ben, however, did not appreciate all the attention aimed at his big brother.</div><div><br /></div><iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/01Q45G7yTQM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><div><br /></div>the Jewell familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05761230844072680620noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2324623395220921921.post-18999905267923282852011-04-17T14:56:00.000-07:002011-04-23T12:58:34.664-07:00The Boys Are Back in Town<div style="text-align: left;">Well, I think two years is long enough to go between posts so I've decided to pick this thing back up. I'm aware that those who read my blog <a href="http://brazilianjewells.blogspot.com/">Brazilian Jewells</a> are not necessarily interested in reading about my kid's loose tooth or latest school project so this page is dedicated to those of you who are. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Here's a picture I took of the boys last week at the park.</div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixG7SWQPxpzsOmPwM6-ndb2xkEOICdkD21KoVfs4ucrW1meJmQ_w2UYOKE88K1xitKC0WKJvwb5f2DBUgz7wvSnLc51L3wTP0TDSY0g18tXgwQvnRE02Q4rzkuU_y9z1SFXlgRXv4B5IAW/s400/Fun+at+the+Park+%2528Jonah%252C+Andy%252C+and+Ben%2529.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598868697321051010" /><div>Now that you're up to date on how much they've grown, I'll start filling you in on what they're doing as well.</div>the Jewell familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05761230844072680620noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2324623395220921921.post-59692136168905614932009-11-13T11:02:00.001-08:002009-11-13T11:18:13.892-08:00Andy's Early Birthday Celebration<div>Andy will turn five at the end of the month but we decided to celebrate early while we're still here in Brazil with his friends. He wanted a Spiderman party, so a Spiderman party it was:</div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8yXjycpbWGs8U6mn6yyWYBDJd5gEGy9ssRHlm4UIRqZUwJ3kELgmZVus3zPy6e40AuBXkWo8vD8teSz_L13VLFntzOe_rr7tOc1X4tjKbhEvh0egUGZ-NaUUZoPOb3-ejODrCGVt5Lo9D/s1600-h/the+fam.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8yXjycpbWGs8U6mn6yyWYBDJd5gEGy9ssRHlm4UIRqZUwJ3kELgmZVus3zPy6e40AuBXkWo8vD8teSz_L13VLFntzOe_rr7tOc1X4tjKbhEvh0egUGZ-NaUUZoPOb3-ejODrCGVt5Lo9D/s400/the+fam.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403666287178586434" /></a>He had a pool party in November - something that probably won't happen next year:<br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBMCN3yxa2PnzRFHjB1HvI9durN0lnBmqW_-uZPSFQ-aQZTLHYDjhu5qFWdeK9S7SERe4eG6j7LWRkcABXmN49435sqip1oZGKR0PSeW85qaNQdME1ME7Q1g6OQjSQeQXNEl9Hs20D3cRL/s400/pool.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403666280983337250" />Dad grilled up some deliciousness while the menfolk milled around the churrasqueira (Brazilian-barbecue oven):<div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiabVYQ0XLd1jNUdpOLWsEZS-DsGMJ7-Pf4_UiisYNzlBe_pU1cUpTwOowfHwAorMmMhTCdgUiuaC2g4nV5gjonjZK9D5xA15lTUCIlMiEhiuUkcLYSDPbQM0DpqQ-W5hZmDiw7l5S5p3gS/s400/men+folk.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403666038299364642" />Judging by the expressions, he's gotten pretty good at it:<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd3abdXftEnzg4t0nmP42ayH6cbZdUfUsIBn3rs6FnuwQStRaBiebu9yEBhyrXDhfInVA6O59aQQcPLFY55whibYWXmaBVj-Iz1gjzfjKZXEIGkfze0e86GzYVjS8iOPRr9LRwcgZO9fcx/s1600-h/stairs.jpg"></a></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd3abdXftEnzg4t0nmP42ayH6cbZdUfUsIBn3rs6FnuwQStRaBiebu9yEBhyrXDhfInVA6O59aQQcPLFY55whibYWXmaBVj-Iz1gjzfjKZXEIGkfze0e86GzYVjS8iOPRr9LRwcgZO9fcx/s1600-h/stairs.jpg" style="text-decoration: none;"><img style="text-align: left;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd3abdXftEnzg4t0nmP42ayH6cbZdUfUsIBn3rs6FnuwQStRaBiebu9yEBhyrXDhfInVA6O59aQQcPLFY55whibYWXmaBVj-Iz1gjzfjKZXEIGkfze0e86GzYVjS8iOPRr9LRwcgZO9fcx/s400/stairs.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403666281474258354" /></a>Andy opened some presents:<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhScsT4rV8NMNIZnIKdsE29ONIp21llfdtkPuXvldW4_Dxi5NenZ9YRAm-uf1fTim52FRJIu-LLyH60sV4GgRw9NO1q4JUm5Np9QAIP4kvN6iyTuMmclT0P8G4QRT0-NtDJxKyi-IdLbrX8/s1600-h/party.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhScsT4rV8NMNIZnIKdsE29ONIp21llfdtkPuXvldW4_Dxi5NenZ9YRAm-uf1fTim52FRJIu-LLyH60sV4GgRw9NO1q4JUm5Np9QAIP4kvN6iyTuMmclT0P8G4QRT0-NtDJxKyi-IdLbrX8/s400/party.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403666275937764418" /></a>And played some games:<br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkg3Obb-v47KEEYRundJvefP0fGBeXgyo_lxL8_74JqhbtAQ4lm2liEzB0-9zgdQPaaNdJPeh7l6bvYjtJpBU3785s9BQrPU77Etyn7MLzsKey_YW6a21-iplLOAgnSLC73h1_HgLpCio4/s400/cards.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403666025839341954" />While Ben wondered when he was going to get a turn. Not for about four months, Little Man:<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBFfkyNdRTCWIPULILkdiQvCUmF78HZEVOu5oB83TEDQDJ2yQgnDIuIwMxX_FaswE4Jacgpo4MHENw8o0_HaHsN0-xTlT6ugXWZK2ophvtczCDm-NfbBahP7f_92Ba09ZdRHh9_Nc-4zSF/s1600-h/edvan+and+ben.....jpg"></a></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBFfkyNdRTCWIPULILkdiQvCUmF78HZEVOu5oB83TEDQDJ2yQgnDIuIwMxX_FaswE4Jacgpo4MHENw8o0_HaHsN0-xTlT6ugXWZK2ophvtczCDm-NfbBahP7f_92Ba09ZdRHh9_Nc-4zSF/s1600-h/edvan+and+ben.....jpg" style="text-decoration: none;"><img style="text-align: left;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBFfkyNdRTCWIPULILkdiQvCUmF78HZEVOu5oB83TEDQDJ2yQgnDIuIwMxX_FaswE4Jacgpo4MHENw8o0_HaHsN0-xTlT6ugXWZK2ophvtczCDm-NfbBahP7f_92Ba09ZdRHh9_Nc-4zSF/s400/edvan+and+ben.....jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403666029118907330" /></a>Then Andy disappeared and Spider-Man joined the fun for a group photo:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq7iTwBTZ4m0_m-zLI7RqeS078LWEVM5No_A1x5yFkdkkxb5djhrUhzdmYF4fq19pGrlyA8A1ifx1Uk3CS3zNGWixn_x5pcnPPwpDmNvTDTlXw-pcrOaMtNR0IIaMdFwL-cUNYWtQtT_ZR/s1600-h/birthday+gang.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq7iTwBTZ4m0_m-zLI7RqeS078LWEVM5No_A1x5yFkdkkxb5djhrUhzdmYF4fq19pGrlyA8A1ifx1Uk3CS3zNGWixn_x5pcnPPwpDmNvTDTlXw-pcrOaMtNR0IIaMdFwL-cUNYWtQtT_ZR/s400/birthday+gang.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403666026208416450" /></a>All in all it was a great day and a birthday to remember, not just because of the food and fun, but also because it will be the last birthday Andy celebrates with this Portuguese-speaking bunch... for a while, at least.<br /><br /></div>the Jewell familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05761230844072680620noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2324623395220921921.post-53842715106789751932009-10-28T17:48:00.000-07:002009-10-28T18:27:35.964-07:00Jonah Turns Eight<div style="text-align: left;">We celebrated Jonah's eighth birthday with a party at our house. </div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx5XjfqsifHdcwAfXhgxJfOp1G8dyUlo2icaTBECDZs_7NG5excvQiY7VHBQxx9rWEb5LyhL2CCbCnJIgP0k137JtmD-p2T_qeCEV4VJVRTYxGOozbQ5n04OBRGoANWF_f3cZWWx90eRPT/s400/IMG_9819.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397818425990079538" />The first item on the agenda was cool hair styles for the three amigos:<br /><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP5jHw61LGRMEsXywGIHRM0-HBJE5w_orqIU4aLWDAgm6OgWOc7mrY6TP26CpTeJFIFt5wcPtDn1sfLWGXcW5suVr-B6YIF2BK6G5LxVTlJWmduLQki29whyRsJAukZcFiuZrXtC_nw79w/s400/IMG_9778.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397817685395662018" />It was an experiment with egg whites. Jonah, Andy, and their best friend Irvaine all sported the spikes until they hit the pool a bit later in the day:</div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj59pQeVeI75E8r0BGM6aei_wWoVJPyhLi56SwFsEac-R3aJec7NPO0M33uj0l93hyphenhyphen5KIuUUvwfFotmOZahWEesaQDehVPoSeiQwdM_QWFYlaR31ZQaSix_0V1GnfTCdMErXc7EhqBpvSPk/s400/IMG_9785.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397817701692545010" />Here's the birthday crew:<div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Okh7qXFVW9WU41WVh8uDHD2neNDeRTXd66udtIyHSGRO9VdePMLeHZ0H6AOIwzEISHoQMJ5VZOEhME3KTJZhrxas_whodM-iDU9D5M7dWX4_6KoR3FcN_IT3jjrXPK_Ez3x26zgmPRYY/s1600-h/IMG_9830.jpg" style="text-decoration: none;"><img style="text-align: left;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Okh7qXFVW9WU41WVh8uDHD2neNDeRTXd66udtIyHSGRO9VdePMLeHZ0H6AOIwzEISHoQMJ5VZOEhME3KTJZhrxas_whodM-iDU9D5M7dWX4_6KoR3FcN_IT3jjrXPK_Ez3x26zgmPRYY/s400/IMG_9830.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397818428528737122" /></a>The theme was Ben 10 again. Jonah L-O-V-E-S Ben 10, as do most of the other little boys around here. I'll be interested to see how popular the cartoon is in the States. Since we got rid of TV, our boys have to rely on videos and comic books of their favorite super hero.<img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1l2TDHfuNYmnYqjnaFfXN-pwV8ykPGcmjOMUtYl_XX-IBodcLJq0obG0RjMrLiAu9b6A38a8DpcHHxMWRVsgwCSCvHjP7GnDEyGAyvj8n5U3kjmhCYPIvJO3rI8ABRWkHGhMshA4KdUEE/s400/IMG_9790.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397818113398998386" />One of our guests, while reaching out to hand a card to Jonah, quickly pulled it back when she saw the "Ben 10" table decoration. She whispered to her mother, "You wrote happy eighth birthday on the card to Jonah but it's BEN who's turning TEN. How embarrassing!" I had to laugh, and I assured her they had it right the first time. In case you haven't guessed, they also don't have TV. </div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8ivM6e8OXDFfpHBIA4RzT4PhSGpL-xo8J-372-NA4p0z7RX_heHab-dtqH51-FPc5yvatlHJ4-VM1Tph0u4CYrbNpQPJeR_7TC99HA7sSRGRw15MmGCV2G3rutgyvRrsYmX4-jgFo-YPE/s400/IMG_9800.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397818122859127474" />Dad grilled up some tasty treats:</div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz61VXNyciJeIcR1QsO5Q2OeeCGGlJmrTOW9Uw6yx53D-GxUtVaG18o8mQ1zRnCLheJ2EJtTvv6J16hE0xTW7RGSopBX9zWLP4e9Mhll36igkrHJiszS5YTqLa50tVO_JcLEMKJXj7lJuq/s400/IMG_9786.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397817705676174018" />And the big kids talked and ate together:</div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjubxl_E4E5OyM8EAOxbcX9XLIgMKWuEDHjeqr3pi-CcDuFQAHest58sHx4lArIRpu-5oPLHaIiFFOdnAvdwACh0KIPeBxdhyphenhyphenkkPO-KnrYNzUeI_i7Wb_4EgMiRtKmFVLw1h34N7RpgxJU2/s400/IMG_9802.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397818416142273042" />While the little kids enjoyed the pool:</div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyaF_-IKqxcr2jWjHOmf7sPn1K0iDWUv5z1pSNpeN9Caa2sxNhQ2bMQOFqOwhL9jH7rKIcWiWMI5B0TwnbGckmK1lMTqvukYhDqVrReQMZFi5Uby_bjzpfBR8BIInUZ52RJKGbINnyg4mJ/s400/IMG_9797.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397818110740767026" /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8nmIbmazC5-fE77b3iEfJ1lhLkQJ4XtoCm7y7T5jMRc6_eQiaqEoLtxEIVUF2F4IU5ls3NAFbF4QnNYdWOjHosSH6EKsptH0s_AB9B0aWvaolZyHIXd7iuhvSslRZC5AtsCZBgVPoF47L/s400/IMG_9799.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397818118173582498" /><div style="text-align: left;">And the even littler kids enjoyed poking each other with sticky fingers:</div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhitADveRF63CB5aCnJN8FXeEgxJGrusoQ3WH1_XXnhpRVGi-AQYVScAJD14vgyDiS6797JhhzMz85ywryBaC4ro5mA5sLpAhUzYujxfJXCrMryrqjSjlU1GxQNSyT-oMkOu_6BMrE6Mpmc/s1600-h/IMG_9808.jpg" style="text-decoration: none;"><img style="text-align: left;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhitADveRF63CB5aCnJN8FXeEgxJGrusoQ3WH1_XXnhpRVGi-AQYVScAJD14vgyDiS6797JhhzMz85ywryBaC4ro5mA5sLpAhUzYujxfJXCrMryrqjSjlU1GxQNSyT-oMkOu_6BMrE6Mpmc/s400/IMG_9808.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397818422637208610" /></a><div style="text-align: left;">Then there was this:</div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc-8MD-p_qseDREUz5fdY0pa1MG30Vkrp6Qb1YhxkOhe68sijtyfdlP2g0WPQb7f_YxGML7lUAMYLABIcyv6El1a9mtFEVoDAJbFMYUjfUUjvoNDh_AJNKL1NIx9qYDRIpftSYksUN17pY/s1600-h/IMG_9801.jpg" style="text-decoration: none;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc-8MD-p_qseDREUz5fdY0pa1MG30Vkrp6Qb1YhxkOhe68sijtyfdlP2g0WPQb7f_YxGML7lUAMYLABIcyv6El1a9mtFEVoDAJbFMYUjfUUjvoNDh_AJNKL1NIx9qYDRIpftSYksUN17pY/s400/IMG_9801.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397818123608422306" /></a><div style="text-align: left;">And presents:</div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinvTsJvLrdgcMSFk4VrQQTYmOH99Vc4jafgTDo1vfk_f31A0OS-XziY8Y00LpxL7mwgYSA9aNqWUz2ltT_Quy1jCHiRzTrZViNmAv3Ma0bQG3Dglvky9EdBPEQVX4-uauYO99By4yKcecE/s400/IMG_9787.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397817708322159986" />It's going to be sad to say goodbye to good friends but we are blessed to have made so many memories while we were here.</div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglolY0tfns5hY-bVxzTqfLg-BBA3Nsh2Xo6r_0-VW-c5ZxdKTJx4M0PJyi4-_SN-HDvHtY1d_SYbvPPwR6VbT1bxCx1DpBl67d6Rgydy_6idgFN8KjsuxELTVCjQiOMGck8YsLSQaRdSf9/s400/IMG_9783.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397817696018074754" /><div style="text-align: left;">This may be the last pool party Jonah ever has because it's much colder in October north of the equator. I'm sure he has no idea how much he'll cherish these memories, but he will be blessed by them forever.</div></div></div>the Jewell familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05761230844072680620noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2324623395220921921.post-55832124915210443862009-09-09T07:49:00.001-07:002009-09-10T12:26:02.316-07:00Andy at Capoeira Practice<div>The kids are learning capoeira (an Afro-Brazilian art form that combines martial arts with dance). Here's a short video of Andy during a recent practice.</div><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxN7Kw-_cid4hhv0KFB8eUZkgfPgs1y9UoPnUfTNE2MtNYLAXzIgq3EKb3zAP1MMNHytQ8yCRRs-l9CkP6pSQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><div><br /></div>the Jewell familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05761230844072680620noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2324623395220921921.post-5630395197334345642009-09-09T07:36:00.000-07:002009-09-09T07:48:35.288-07:00A Look Into the Future<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ru5ubvYUHEMH9Nv7keXeyG9PWFEm-Z4kAGI-2DvmFM2wsgK1KL4x1_yC9aLupA29mtyBRfxFOGjPlX3Exoy0nSKjXgBeT6kF_em-oHVYM9FVPkdYtzckTpcmmYEfLDGSkOMvipJEBWaW/s1600-h/IMG_9692_2.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 263px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ru5ubvYUHEMH9Nv7keXeyG9PWFEm-Z4kAGI-2DvmFM2wsgK1KL4x1_yC9aLupA29mtyBRfxFOGjPlX3Exoy0nSKjXgBeT6kF_em-oHVYM9FVPkdYtzckTpcmmYEfLDGSkOMvipJEBWaW/s400/IMG_9692_2.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5379477010257080498" /></a>My upcoming homeschool student was very interested in writing class today.the Jewell familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05761230844072680620noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2324623395220921921.post-17388480481847976582009-09-01T20:07:00.000-07:002009-09-01T20:08:36.414-07:00Teeth<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Mux01aSp3LGMfHpFCiR2iM8KkqQ2kf0KDBSvO5Lh7nmO3IO5ABeUmKQPTCPH8y3sK4iKPSExSOwch-Hdkg1R8_9II7I8w3QgFZHhE3_f3Gsz-MFo5PU6oO8gRgwzBAPJ26_26kVUDyJ4/s1600-h/IMG_9676.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Mux01aSp3LGMfHpFCiR2iM8KkqQ2kf0KDBSvO5Lh7nmO3IO5ABeUmKQPTCPH8y3sK4iKPSExSOwch-Hdkg1R8_9II7I8w3QgFZHhE3_f3Gsz-MFo5PU6oO8gRgwzBAPJ26_26kVUDyJ4/s400/IMG_9676.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376701587321778338" /></a>the Jewell familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05761230844072680620noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2324623395220921921.post-67731101404447379802009-03-20T04:59:00.000-07:002009-03-20T06:55:43.800-07:00The New Kid in Town<div>This is our new brother Ben. He was born on March 3 and he's about two weeks old in this picture. Mom had to be induced a couple weeks early because of some crazy itching she was having. </div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIFfurBbgdxLXvesJoGoYN1cI-Bu1fD36si68VeKIrjha8F5fZCZ6u357HarTBDBFIujIGPGN4_BLRjgo7CRgsfYUy35UacJ6BaAgEeg62A65huqD8U8yEjcEqofNpqQqie4faWUEphJpb/s400/IMG_9251_2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315238328638200978" /><div>Dad was trying to explain to us that we were about to have a new baby in the house. He wanted to prepare us, so he said, "Today is Friday and on Tuesday Mommy's going into the hospital to have the baby." Andy was so happy. I was too. </div><div><br /></div><div>I said, "Dad, are you kidding me? Today is really Friday? Do you know what this means?" <br /></div><div><br /></div><div>"Yes, I do," he said with a big smile on his face. "Only a few more days." <br /></div><div><br /></div><div>"No," I yelled with glee, "Star Wars is on TV <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">tonight</span>!" <br /></div>the Jewell familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05761230844072680620noreply@blogger.com2